NUMBER OF TIMES. ASK ANY SCIENTIST, MARINE RESOURCES WORKER OR ANY CLAMMER AND THEY'LL TELL YOU MAINE'S COAST LINE IS UNDER SEVERE ATTACK. THEY SAY AN EXPLOSION OF GREEN CRABS THREATENS TO WIPE OUT, NOT JUST THE LUCRATIVE CLAM POPULATION , BUT A NUMBER OF COASTAL SPECIES INCLUDING PLANTS AS WELL. LIVE AT SIX,, WMTW NEWS EIGHT'S STEVE MINICH IS IN FREEPORT, JUST ONE OF SEVERAL TOWNS THAT TOOK PART TODAY IN A SPECIAL SURVEY. STEVE... FROM KITTERY TO LUBEC TODAY,,, MORE THAN THREE DOZEN VOLUNTEERS HAULED IN SPECIALLY BAITED TRAPS TO SEE EXACTLY HOW MANY GREEN CRABS THEY COULD COLLECT JUST OVERNIGHT --- IN SOME CASES, IT'S PRETTY AMAZING... NOW RIGHT NOW,, IT'S HIGH TIDE.... BUT LOOK WHAT WE FOUND EARLIER TODAY AT LOW TIDE.... ---nats of scoop--- WITH JUST ONE SINGLE SCOOP --- DOZENS OF GREEN CRABS SCURRY FOR COVER..... CRABS THAT HAVE DEVOURED THIS MUD FLAT OF PLANTS AND SEA LIFE.. "in the mudflats they're eating everything from worms to clams and everything below in the subtidal they're eating everything from scallops to mussels perhaps they're preying on small lobsters." --nats of hauling traps-- RIGHT NOW THE PROBLEM IS MOST PREVELENT IN CASCO BAY ..... BUT TODAY'S SURVEY OF TOWN WATERS UP AND DOWN THE COAST IS EXPECTED TO PROVE THE SITUATION EVEN MORE WIDE SPREAD... KOHL KANWIT IS DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC HEALTH FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF MARINE RESOURCES.. "it will be a real eye opener to see how many crabs they might catch and what may be happening to their shellfish resources." CHAD COFFIN HAS SEEN FIRST HAND WHAT'S HAPPENING,,,,, PRESIDENT OF THE MAINE CLAMMERS ASSOCIATION -- THESE CRABS ARE THREATENING HIS LIVELYHOOD.. "we're now on the brink of losing the rest of the softshell clam resource." "somebody needs to come up with an economical method of using them,, unless that happens, there's no hope." CONCERNING WORDS ESPECIALLY COMING FROM A SCIENTIST.... BRIAN BEAL, HOWEVER, DOES BELIEVE GREEN CRABS CAN BE HARVESTED WHICH WOULD HELP ELIVIATE THE PROBLEM .... EXACTLY HOW THOUGH --- ANOTHER TOUGH QUESTION TO ANSWER.. "it's going to take a commercial entity to come in and determine how these green crabs can make money for someone.. until that happens, we're stuck." ONCE MARINE RESOURCES DETERMINES THE EXTENT OF THE PROBLEM,,, THEN IT NEEDS A PLAN TO HELP GET RID OF THE CRABS .... DURING A SIMILAR INFESTATION BACK IN THE 1950'S THAT ALL BUT WIPED OUT CLAMMING FOR NEARLY A DECADE THE STATE POURED D- D-T ON THE CLAMFLATS,,,,, OBVIOUSLY THAT IS NO LONGER A SOLUTION... LIVE IN FREEPORT, STEVE MINICH WMTW NEWS EIGHT..